Best Visual Artist
Gio DiZurita
Winner: Gio DiZurita
Whether it's a mixed-media portrait of Frida Kahlo on canvas, a commissioned painting of someone's hairy Schnauzer or a colorful customized backpack or pair of capri leggings, local artist Giovanna DiZurita wants each one of her artworks to be a masterpiece. It's all part of her masterplan to expand her personal brand – a series of pop-art creations that range from images you'd find on Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers in the '90s to superhero prints selling at comic conventions. No one can deny DiZurita is prolific or that she's a savvy businesswoman. And there doesn't seem to be anything she won't paint. Art has always been a part of her life since she was a child. Each artwork, she says, "allows [her] to jump into the fantasy world within [her] mind and bring that world into reality." She hopes to do the same for her customers. If not, at least you can still own one of her snazzy Betty Boop tank tops.
2. Analy Diego
3. Ray "Tattooedboy" Scarborough
